Draft:Kill line

Political expression From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The "kill line," also "death line,"[1] in reference to poverty in the United States, describes "a fatal threshold beyond which recovery to a better life becomes impossible." The phrase rose to prominence on Chinese social media in 2025,[2] and soon gained attention in English-speaking media outlets such as The Economist[3] and The New York Times.[2]

  • Comment: Thank you for changing your mind on this, Notdexterslab. I'm now looking at wikt:kill line for the first time. I realize that it was created by MichaelWashboard, not by you; but you might wish to edit it all the same. One oddity that jumps out at me is the contrast between (A) [this draft]: The "kill line," also "death line," in reference to poverty in the United States, describes....; and (B) [Wiktionary]: 2. (China, economics) The poverty threshold.... Hoary (talk) 22:31, 8 March 2026 (UTC)
  • Comment: Not convinced it passes the neologism threshold truth be told. More like a typical propaganda campaign. PK650 (talk) 10:29, 28 February 2026 (UTC)

According to The Economist, the phrase "kill line" has its origin in Chinese gaming culture to describe a combatant in a "perilous position," where "once their virtual health falls below this line, it takes just a single punch or shot to be eliminated."[3]

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